Australians love the sea, and cruising is growing in popularity with the over fifties.
So, why are more of us choosing these holidays and what are the things to consider before setting sail for the ocean?
Frankie Barkhuizen has always been a bit frightened of the sea.
She was apprehensive about going on a cruise, but her first experience proved to be a totally different story.
Nigel Walliss is director of Travelrite - a family owned-travel business based in Melbourne.
He says the cruise industry has witnessed a strong double-digit growth of Aussies going cruising by an average of 19.4 per cent a year for the past decade.
Overall, 90 per cent of Australians passengers prefer to cruise for two weeks or less.
The most popular destinations are close to home with 42 per cent of travellers cruising around Australia, New Zealand or the South Pacific.
Standards of cruises vary depending on your budget, ranging from less than a hundred dollars a day, all the way to luxury cruises for three to four hundred dollars a day.
